How Does Corporate Social Responsibility Affect Corporate Cash Holdings?

Does CSR reflect the "self-interest tool" of management or the "value tool" of shareholders? This paper seeks to examine the impact of CSR on corporate cash holdings in China's stock markets. This paper presents evidence that CSR significantly increases corporate cash holdings, and our findings remain consistent after a series of robustness tests. Mechanism analysis shows that CSR mainly affects cash holding by optimizing corporate governance, which is reflected in that CSR improves the efficiency of investment and increases dividend and R&D investment. Furthermore, CSR has a spillover effect and value enhancement effect that can improve cash holdings at the industry level and also enhance corporate market value.